In the previous two weeks of this series on the five elements in Chinese medicine, we’ve seen how the elements of metal and water can provide us with a framework for structuring our lives around our values and the tools to look within ourselves in contemplation of the mystery of life. This week, we explore the element Wood, whose primary direction is outward and upward, just like a tree coming from the ground toward the sun.
The primary emotion of Wood is anger. Not necessarily negative anger. Anger can also be positive. A drive to act, to make a difference, to right wrongs. In the New Testament, the Letter of James tells us, “Faith without works is dead.” If we do nothing with the transformation we’ve experienced through structured spiritual practices and contemplation of essential questions, we are like a plant that withers because it is stuck in the shade. We need to act. We need to give of ourselves in a greater cause, in the service of others. That is the Sun that shines light upon our lives. But it can be a hard path. Opening our eyes to the suffering of the world will make us angry. Sad and fearful and sometimes hopeful, too. But definitely angry. And we need to use that anger and channel it into the cause of righteousness, into the struggle for social justice.
There is a passage from the prophet Isaiah that I would like to share with you. It is a vision of a just and radically inclusive world. It begins with this:
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks,
foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines;
For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
May we all work for this vision of a just and radically inclusive world.
The Reverend Chase Danford 